The Cotswolds Distillery has launched a Cotswolds Bourbon Cask Single Malt Whisky – the latest whisky expression to join the Cask Collection of their award-winning collection of single malt whiskies. And the launch of what has been called “a perfect gift for the whisky connoisseur” is just in time for the coming festive season.
Located in the Cotswolds, in an area of outstanding natural beauty, some 15 odd minutes north of Chipping Norton, the Cotswolds Distillery is the brainchild of Dan Szor – a native New Yorker who had been working in finance in London for many years.
Seeking to leave behind that world and spend more time in the Cotswolds with his family, it eventually dawned on him that he could combine his love of whisky with his desire to start a new business. Having found a derelict site near his house, he set about building a distillery and a team to run it, and the doors of the Cotswolds Distillery opened in July 2014.
About the whisky, Dan said, “We always planned to launch a Bourbon Cask Single Malt ever since 2014 when we founded the distillery. It’s been a while in the making, but it’s definitely been worth the wait. Our house style is to produce spirits with big flavours, and by using first-fill ex-Bourbon casks, which arrive at the distillery with their staves soaked in Bourbon whisky, we ensure a full and rich flavour for this wonderful cask strength expression.”
The Cotswolds Bourbon Cask Single Malt Whisky is created from select first-fill ex-Bourbon casks in which the rich and fruity single malt spirit has been patiently matured. This sweet and malty cask strength expression is a whisky for purists and a wonderful expression of our distillery character.
The Bourbon Cask expression begins with a new make spirit, which is already incredibly smooth, rich and fruity thanks to the pair of yeasts used, the long 90-hour fermentation and the tight heart cut on the spirit still. It is diluted to 63.5% ABV before filling premium American oak ex-Bourbon casks from Kentucky for full-term maturation, allowing the main maturation processes of flavour extraction, oxidation and evaporation to work their magic on our already smooth spirit.
Over the years, the distillery team have been combining these Bourbon barrels with STR (Shaved, Toasted and Re-charred) ex-red wine casks to produce a Cotswolds Signature Single Malt Whisky; yet this is the first whisky bottling to be exclusively Bourbon-matured.
This whisky expression is indeed a whisky lover’s malt. It delivers the typical sweet flavours you would expect from Bourbon casks – most notably vanilla, honey, malt sugars, caramel and even the occasional hint of coconut. The whisky is bottled non-chill filtered at cask strength for maximum flavour and without added colouring.
This is a whisky for those who love whisky, beer and all things malt. It really shows off the locally-grown, floor-malted Cotswold barley in its best light. It joins the rest of the Cask Collection, which encompasses Cotswolds Founder’s Choice, Cotswolds Peated Cask and Cotswolds Sherry Cask.
The Cotswolds Bourbon Cask Single Malt Whisky is only available to purchase from the Cotswolds Distillery Visitor Centre and their shops in Broadway and Bourton-on-the-Water and online at cotswoldsdistillery.com.
